College
students are always in a rush. Between classes, projects, homework, family, and
other commitments, there a lot to balance. Many would think that by joining any
college societies or clubs, they are not making better use of time. But is it
really that way? So what are the
top reasons to join any college societies or clubs?
You must be
sure about the benefits you can get by joining that particular society. You
mustn’t join any society just because some of your friends joined so. Looking
at your own interests and aspirations, you must choose yours accordingly. Many people are
still unsure of exactly what these societies are for or what they do. Societies
are organizations intended to benefit and group together like-minded
individuals based on some similar interests or abilities.
Some students
may be invited to join more than one society. It's important to understand that
you don't have to pick just one. But choosing the right one matters a lot.
1) It’s a chance to build your skill set
and demonstrate your time management
While dealing with the struggles of
being a college student, you might feel that organizing priorities and managing
time has become a bit of a problem. This is where you can learn to manage time
efficiently by making proper use of time.
2) It helps you to achieve your interests
and also increases your confidence
Your confidence
level jumps as you make progress in your field of interest, which is not
possible by being inactive. You can follow your passion in singing, dance,
quiz, speaking and many more. By joining any tech teams and making working
models, you can pursue your interest in various items like robotics,
electronics etc. There are numerous competitions which offer attractive prizes
to the winners too.
3) Joining an organization is one of the
best ways to build a bigger network
College is all
about networking with people who share similar interests because it gives you the
opportunity to explore possible career opportunities and learn what it takes to
reach one’s goals. You can get more exposure to real-world activities. Sophomore
students can take advice from seniors and learn from former students to help
guide in the right direction. Here, student organizations come into play and
provide the opportunity to broaden your horizons, learn new skills and meet people
who can further help in your success as you make transition from college to the
real world.
4) It helps you to develop your soft skills
Soft skills
refer to the daily behaviour of humans, which include attitude, one’s
communication skills, and work ethic. By joining these clubs/societies you can
not only learn more of these skills but also broaden and improve your existing
one. A student can learn the best way to communicate with both individuals and
large groups, and gain more of emotional intelligence as they gain and develop
new acquaintance.
5) It
helps promote and develop teamwork and team spirit
The mentioned
skills are essential for any career. You can learn to work together as a team
by experiencing situations where you are required to take advice from others,
as well as give your own advice.
6) It
leads to the practical application of the skills learned in class
What use is
knowledge, if it is not made applicable in real life? By applying classroom
experience in student organizations, you can develop great projects and ideas, which
can benefit not only your self-satisfaction but also the greater public in
general.
7) It
helps gain leadership skills
Becoming a
leader in an organization will surely help you to develop leadership skills
that will be invaluable in all areas of life. In many cases, you will be
presented with opportunities to improve in public speaking and gain confidence
in yourself as an individual. These will be of great help to you as an
individual as you progress in your career.
8) It provides an opportunity to expand your resume
There’s no
arguing that organizations and activities look good on a resume. Showing
employers that you participated in, or (better yet) lead, a student organization,
they’ll know that you’re hard-working and can handle multiple responsibilities.
This can go a long way in improving your chances of joining some eminent MNC or
high-end job.
9) It’s a time to have fun!
Last but not
the least, another simple reason to join a student organization is to have fun.
Meeting new people, making new friends, and participating in activities will
help you, as a student to make the most of your graduate school experience. By
meeting new people, you can expand your zone of friends; learn about new
cultures, languages and many more. When you join
any society, your are expected to do some tasks which you may or may not like
but that's the point of exploring a field where you can discover your true
potential, passion, interests. You will get to
meet a lot of experienced and inexperienced people where you can get to learn
soft skills which will actually help you in your life in cracking some exams or
solving the real problems, or in working life later.
How to choose what to join?
Some students
may be invited to join more than one society. It's important to understand that
you don’t have to pick just one. But choosing the right one matters a lot.
As with most
things in life, college societies come with no guarantees. What you get out of
a legitimate society depends on what you put into it. Many people who join college
societies only do it to boost their resumes.
It's unclear
exactly how much benefit joining will provide. Some employers may be attracted
to the fact that you've been associated with a prestigious fraternity or honour society, while others may not care at all. If it's a
professional society related to the field in which you hope to work after
graduation, then it may be of some use.
The Bottom Line
If you are through
the society in order to obtain scholarships and job opportunities after
graduation, there's a good chance that joining will be worthwhile for you. On the other
hand, campus life offers a wide range of opportunities to network and
socialize, so there's a chance that you can get the same benefits from simply
joining campus social groups that match your goals and interests.
Simply focusing
solely on just academics during college time at the university might not be the
best way to ensure that you score all A's for all subjects. Taking a break and
being in a different environment, that a club or society provides you with, can
be healthy. It gives the brain a chance to recharge and helps someone
destress, and relax.
Some societies
give a chance to increase your knowledge outside the classroom, to help your
future career options. It is a great way to enhance your knowledge and equip yourselves
with tools for networking. Many of the country's most well-known performers
were crafted by the societies they attended whilst at the university.
There are some
well-known societies like IEEE, ASME, TEDx etc. and many more. These
well-recognized societies will help you as an individual to develop your skills
in all areas of life. By joining a recognized society or club, you can earn a
good reputation in college too.
The obvious
benefit of joining a student society is the impact it will have on your social
life. You will get to meet people who share an interest with you, and they will
widen your social network beyond your course and the people you live with.
However, there
are also real gains in terms of your employability - the skills, qualities, and
knowledge you offer to prospective employers, which suggest that you will
successfully adapt to life as a graduate in the workplace. In many
societies, there is an opportunity to learn about topics such as health and
safety, finance, marketing, and aspects of the law, as well as developing
strong interpersonal skills and the ability to take responsibility for money,
equipment, and people.
Some more
benefits of joining the societies are that they offer Discounts on life
insurance, travel, credit cards and more. They also help create a safer world
for future generations. All these benefits add up and overtake the cons that
many people mention.
There really is
no better way of becoming immersed in university life than becoming a member of
the great number of clubs/societies available on campus. With the added bonus
of the experience university clubs and societies you have for your CV, you are
likely to gather interest from potential employers across all industries and
sectors. It all congregates and complements that drive to secure an internship,
as well as your first graduate job.
- Sonal Bera
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